BILLINGS, Mont. – Another weekend split means the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team is 4-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, with a realistic chance to pick up a pair of home wins this week. The team hosts Seattle Pacific University Thursday, January 23 at 5:15 p.m., followed by Saint Martin's University Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m. Both games are part of doubleheaders with the Yellowjackets men's basketball team and fans can watch Saturday's contest on local television network SWX Sports.
 
"Our team is excited to be home after two weeks on the road," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "Our play has been inconsistent and I hope we can improve in that area. We need to shoot the ball better from all levels and we will need to be solid on the boards as both of these teams rebound very well. We are nearing the half way point of our conference season so protecting our home court will be extremely important."
 
The 'Jackets hold the sixth and final post-season position at sixth place in the GNAC standings, tied with Central Washington University and one game clear of Saint Martin's. The importance of each game becomes greater as the 'Jackets continue in the second half of the season. With 17 games down, the team had 13 chances left on the calendar before the conference tournament in Seattle, Washington March 5-7.
 
FOR THE 'JACKETS: Hannah Collins returned to the lineup to start her 13^th game of the season Saturday night. Collins is currently second on the squad with 12.1 points per game. Collins also tops the team with 25 made 3-pointers on 59 attempts (.424). With Collins and St. John recently absent from the lineup, senior Jeanann Lemelin has seen her minutes increase.
Lemelin is the only player to start every game and averages 27 minutes, 8.8 points, and 3.1 rebounds. She is also responsible for a team leading 30 steals, or 25-percent of the MSUB total season total. Taryn Shelley notched her sixth double-double of the season with 23 points, 14 rebounds against Concordia University last week. She has already matched her season total as a freshman and leads the team with 12.2 points per game.
 
 
THE CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE: The regular season has six weeks and 13 games remaining before the GNAC tournament is hosted by Seattle Pacific for the first time March 5-7. Six of 11 teams will qualify for the post-season with first and second place finishers earning bye's to the semifinals. MSUB sits right above the current cut line at 4-4 with Central Washington, but Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific entered the week one game back at 3-5. Nationally ranked Alaska Anchorage continued its stranglehold of first place and remains undefeated at 18-1, 8-0 GNAC. The Seawolves improved to two spots to No. 4 in this week's D2SIDA poll.
 
Jocelyn Gandara (Alaska Fairbanks) leads the conference with 18.4 points per game individually. Jessica Jones (Simon Fraser) is second at 17.7 ppg. Bria Thames (Saint Martin's) ranks first with 11.8 rebounds per contest and is 3.1 rebounds ahead of second place Claire Dingus (Saint Martin's) at 8.7.
 
Scouting Seattle Pacific University
Thursday, January 23 – 5:15 p.m. – Billings, Montana – Alterowitz Gymnasium
2019-20 Record: 5-11, 3-5 GNAC, 5-3 home, 0-6 away, 0-2 neutral
2018-19 Record: 8-19, 7-12 GNAC, 6-7 home, 2-10 away, 0-2 neutral
Head Coach: Mike Simonson (2^nd season)
 
Sitting just outside the playoff picture, Seattle Pacific is on the rise after beating Concordia Portland and Western Oregon at home last week. Saturday night, the Falcons downed WOU 73-51 with four players in double-figures. Ashlynn Burgess notched a double-double with 12 points, 14 rebounds for SPU. Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin's played each other Tuesday night at Brougham Pavilion.
 
When the Falcons visit Billings on Thursday, they will be seeking their first road victory of the season. MSUB and SPU split the season series last year. MSUB won at home 72-64 as did SPU 79-74 in Seattle.
 
Seattle Pacific had two of its best defensive efforts of the year in last week's sweep of the Oregon schools. Concordia-Portland's 44 points were the fewest allowed by the Falcons this season, and Western Oregon's 51 were the third fewest. All of that helped the Falcons drop their points-allowed average below 70 for the first time in 2019-20. They are now at 68.1, a full three-point improvement from a week ago.
 
The Falcons boast the league's top free throw percentage at .761 (166 of 218), 11 percentage points ahead of Central Washington (.750).  Among 304 NCAA schools, SPU ranks 28^th with 29.9 defensive rebounds per game and 33^rd in free throw shooting percentage.
 
 
"Seattle Pacific has been playing great basketball lately after a slow start," Woodin said. "I like their overall team speed and their offensive movement impresses me. They have balanced scoring so we must be sound with our defensive fundamentals and they are excellent from the foul line. Defensively they held Concordia and Western Oregon well below their scoring averages last week."
 
Scouting Saint Martin's University
Saturday, January 25 – 7:30 p.m. – Billings, Montana – Alterowitz Gymnasium
2019-20 Record: 8-7, 3-5 GNAC, 8-1 home, 0-5 away, 0-1 neutral
2018-19 Record: 7-21, 5-15 GNAC, 3-8 home, 4-10 away, 0-3 neutral
Head Coach: Christy Martin (3^rd season)
 
Bria Thames and Claire Dingus combined for 32 points and 30 rebounds to lift the Saints to a GNAC win over Western Oregon Thursday night. Clutch plays in the final minutes helped SMU make up a late four-point deficit. Thames and Dingus grabbed their sixth and fifth double-doubles of the season, respectively, while Jeanealle Sutterlict and Tierney DeDonatis each made it to double-figures.
 
Having played Tuesday night against Seattle Pacific, Saint Martin's will visit MSUB on four days rest Saturday. Last week, Thames averaged a double-double against Alaska and Alaska Anchorage, leading to her being named GNAC Player of the Week. Thames also broke the GNAC record for most rebounds in a single with 29.

Thames leads the conference in rebounds and is 11^th in field goal percentage. Dingus sits second in rebounds, ninth in scoring, and ninth in steals per game. The Saints are 8-1 at home but have struggled mightily on the road and hold a record of 0-5.
 
The Saints were tabbed to finish eighth in the GNAC preseason coaches' poll. Christy Martin is in her third season as head coach. Last season, the 'Jackets defeated Saint Martin's at home 75-67, then did it again in Lacey, Washington 76-69 in early February.
 
"Like SPU, Saint Martin's had two impressive wins last week," Woodin said. "Offensively, they are so explosive and Dingus and Thames are so tough as they are both averaging nearly a double-double. They also have three players who have made 25 or more threes so guarding them will be a huge challenge for our defense."
 
IF YOU'RE GOING: Tickets can be purchased at Alterowitz Gymnasium or by calling 406-657-2369. All ticket options are available on game day at the ticket window and online HERE. Thursday night's game sponsor is Stockman Bank. The campus partner is MSUB New Student Services. MSUB's women's game honorary faculty guest coach is Dr. Melanie Reaves.

The men's game honorary faculty guest coach is Dr. Matt Queen. MSUB will also be honoring all-conference award winning student-athletes from men's soccer. Saturday night's game sponsor is First Interstate Bank. MSUB will be honoring the 2019 conference champion baseball team and all-conference honorees. The women's basketball faculty guest coach for Saturday night is Dr. Douglas Nagel.
 
IF YOU'RE NOT: All men's and women's basketball games Thursday and Saturday will be streamed live with statistics via MSUB's stretch internet portal. Esteemed broadcaster Kurt Wilson will call play-by-play.